Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) provides the Inmate Technology Services including Inmate Telephone System (ITS), Inmate Tablets, E-Messaging and Securus Video Visitation. With the use of Inmate Technology Services, people can still get connected with their loved one housed under a TDCJ facility.
If your loved one is also incarcerated under a TDCJ facility and wants to still get connected with you, you definitely can take advantage of TDCJ’s Inmate Technology Services. To easily get connected with him/her, you can use ITS that allows inmates to make a phone call. Of course, there are some rules you should meet to receive calls from a TDCJ facility. Let’s check it out!
Receiving a Call from an Inmate Housed at TDCJ Facility, Here’s How!
In accordance with the TDCJ Disciplinary Rules and Procedures for Offenders, the Inmate Telephone System (ITS) lets eligible inmates make paid telephone calls to their family and friends.
To receive a call from an inmate housed at TDCJ facility, you have to register your phone number first. To register your phone number, you will need the inmate’s TDCJ ID number, so you can receive a phone call from him/her.
Well, there are some rules apply to the TDCJ’s Inmate Telephone System (ITS), including:
- Phones will be available from 5:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m., unless conditions dictate a change.
- Calls are limited to 30 minutes.
- Before being disconnected, you will hear a warning message one minute.
- Inmates will have unlimited minutes per month.
- All calls (except to the attorney of record) will be subject to monitoring and recording.
- Calls are only made to home landline telephone numbers, prepaid cell phones and post-paid cell phones. No calls are allowed to internet services, pay phones, business, 800 numbers or international numbers.
- The name of the registrant’s driver license or state identification card should be reflected on their telephone listing or bill.
How to Make a Phone Call?
Phone calls can be performed in the following manner:
- Collect Calls: When the inmate calls, the charges will be accepted.
- Friends and Family Prepaid: The owner of the telephone establishes an account in which to deposit money to pay for the inmate’s calls.
- Inmate Telephone Prepaid Debit Account (Securus Debit Account): With Securus Debit Account, inmates and their family can deposit money into the inmate’s account.
How to Find an Inmate’s TDCJ ID number?
If you do not know their inmate’s ID number, you definitely can find it through the online inmate search tool that you can access here. Once you are at the Inmate Search tool, you need to fill out one or more of the following fields:
- Inmate’s last name
- Inmate’s first name
- TDCJ number
- SID number
- Gender
- Race
After you fill out all the required fields, you can then click on the ‘Search’ button to start searching for the inmate’s TDCJ ID number. Of course, you can only search for inmates who are currently housed in a TDCJ facility through the Online Inmate Search tool.
The minimum input that is required for a successful search is either of the following:
- Inmate’s last name and at least the first initial of the first name
- TDCJ ID number
- SID (state identification) number
If you provide names, the systems will look for an exact match of the last name you provide.
In addition to searching for an inmate’s TDCJ ID number through Online Inmate Search, you can also make a phone call at (936) 295-6371 or (800) 535-0283. They may answer your calls from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday – Friday.
Last method to find an inmate’s TDCJ ID number is by sending an email. To send an email, there are some information you should provide on your message, such as:
- TDCJ number
- Inmate location
- Offense of Conviction
- Incarceration history: offense, county and court of conviction of offenses
- Current incarceration: offense, county and court of conviction
- Projected Release Date
You can send your email to request an inmate’s TDCJ ID number to pia@tdcj.texas.gov. Well, make sure to include the inmate’s name in the subject line of email.
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